Arctic Monkeys went on tour for their 6th studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, which was released in May of this year. The band started their North American tour the same month their album released and set two tour dates in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, for the 16th and 17th of October. I was lucky enough to go to this awesome concert on the 16th.
I bought my ticket the day they released them. I was so hyped about the concert, but unfortunately, I had to wait around six months to see them since I bought the tickets so early. I had been saving money for months to get a good seat. I spent my weekends’ dog sitting for my mom’s boss to earn enough money for this one event. My seat was in section N2 Row 14, somewhat towards the back.
The seats weren’t that far away, but they weren’t that close either. I was kind of bummed out that I wouldn’t have a clear view of the performance, but it was alright because I was glad to have a chance to see them.
I first discovered Arctic Monkeys around 5th grade. One day I heard one of my uncles listening to them, and I was like, Wow, that sounds pretty good. So I started to get into them and started listening to their older music. Eventually, I became a huge fan.
One day before the concert, my mom surprised me with two front row tickets to the show even though she knew I had bought tickets already. Her good friend Hai had hooked us up with these amazing seats. I decided to invite my friend, Andrea, to experience this maybe once in a lifetime moment because I knew how much she also loved them.
Even though it was Tuesday and I had school the day of and the next day, I was beyond excited. Every time Andrea and I saw each other in the hallways throughout the day, we would squeal and hype each other up. Once school was over, I rushed to my house and started getting ready. At 3 o’clock, I met up with Andrea at the bus stop. We bussed it to downtown and then took the Red Line to Hollywood and Highland.
When we finally made it to Hollywood, we went to pick up our tickets and raced to the entrance. We were stoked because we both had been dying to see Arctic Monkeys live for years.
We arrived at our seats, and the view was pretty awesome because we had a clear view of the stage.
There were two opening bands, Mini Mansions, and The Lemon Twigs. Both bands played for about an hour. I was familiar with The Lemon Twigs, but this was my first time hearing Mini Mansions.
At 9 PM, the Arctic Monkeys were ready to perform. The Hollywood Bowl holds about 17,000 people, and I could hear every one of them.
The Bowl went dark. Red lights appeared all over the stage, and the crowd started cheering. Loud chords could be heard as they walked onto the stage, and then they opened with Four Out of Five, track number six on their newest album. People were screaming their lungs, and these two guys next to us were hugging each other and singing their hearts out. Everyone around us was completely happy. It was like heaven. I felt as though I was dreaming. I honestly didn’t think I would ever be able to see them in person.
The setlist was full of songs from every one of their albums with most of the songs performed from their most popular album, AM. They performed Brainstorm, Snap Out of It, Crying Lightning, Knee Socks, 505, She Looks Like Fun, and so much more.
The album Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino are pretty good. My favorite songs from the album would be “She Looks Like Fun” and “Four Out of Five.” This album gives off a different vibe compared to their other albums. Since I’m a big fan of Arctic Monkeys, I enjoy all their music. But if you’re new to them, I recommend listening to their older music first.
My favorite performance of the night was “R U Mine?” because the security let Andrea and I passed the barricade into general admission and the pit. Once the guy said we could go, we ran straight into the crowd without hesitation. We were kind of far in the back, so we had to push our way into the front.
I was scared and a bit nervous, but Andrea, who is small like a cuddly puppy, was able to slip deeper into the crowd. Within minutes, I was so close to them that I had a perfect view of Alex Turner. My heart was beating, and I started singing like crazy and jumping with the crowd. I sang so loud that my throat hurt. People were singing their hearts out and some even started crowd surfing. It was intense. I can surely say it was the greatest night ever.
After the concert was dreadful because of the traffic. There were thousands of cars trying to leave the parking lot. I got home around 1 AM. I was extremely tired, but I couldn’t sleep because I was so happy. Everything felt like a dream. Unfortunately, I had school the next day, and I had to wake up extra early, but it was all worth it.
Written By Ashley Farias, Staff Writer
Image Source Ashley Farias